Uncertain Manna
by Emperatris
Summary: A story about a happy-go-lucky man, a woman tormented by her dreadful secret, their hidden past, and their desire to be loved. Up to what extent can you prove your love for someone you cannot have? [YohAnna]AU
1. Fate

**Summary: **A story about a happy-go-lucky man, a woman haunted by her dreadful life, their hidden past, and their desire to be loved. Up to what extent can you prove your love for someone you cannot have?

**Just to inform you: **Throughout this fic, there will be OOC (this fic won't work out well if they are themselves), corniness, and fluff. This is a YohAnna fic but there might be a little HaoAnna.

**Disclaimer: **I know that you know that I don't own Shaman King. I just have to include this because I'm afraid that people might sue me. Eek! I'm terrified of lawyers…

**Uncertain Manna**

**I. Fate: **_what has been spoken_

23-year-old Asakura Yoh was sitting on a bench; his headphones were on his ears while his right foot was tapping the floor, following the beat of the music. He raised his head and looked at the sign board on the ceiling. It read 'Arrival'. He turned his attention to his wrist watch. _They're still not here._ He released a heavy sigh.

Yoh had been waiting for his brother's arrival at the airport. He hadn't seen him for five years since he went to America to study cardiac surgery. He missed his twin brother but he didn't really want to wait for him for hours in the airport. The brunette remembered the phone call he received three days ago…

_It was three o'clock in the morning when Yoh received the phone call…_

"_H'lo?" He sleepily answered the call._

"_Hey Yoh!"_

"_Hao?" He rubbed his eyes with his free hand. "What are you thinking calling me at…" He looked at his alarm clock. "…three o'clock in the morning?"_

"_Oh… Wrong timing," He knew that his twin was smiling by the tone of his voice. He liked annoying Yoh since they were children._

_Yoh yawned. "So why did you call?"_

"_I called to tell you that I'll be coming back there three days from now." Hao happily answered. "I'll be bringing someone special with me." He added._

_That caught Yoh's attention. "Is she your girlfriend or something? Your fiancée or even your wife, maybe?"_

_Hao chuckled. "I can't tell you yet." There was a pause. "Anyway, I would like you to be there to pick us up. Would it be fine, Yoh?"_

_Yoh pretended that he was thinking. "Uh, no. Manta and I will be going out that day."_

_Hao sighed. "Manta can wait. Besides, is that how you treat your brother that you have not seen for five years? Aw, Yoh, you're hurting my feelings." He sarcastically said._

_Yoh knew that his brother was quite right. He let out a deep, tired sigh. "Okay, I'll be there." He paused. "At least you can tell me your companion's name?"_

_Yoh sensed that Hao had an evil smile on his lips. "You wouldn't know if you won't come and pick us up. She's adorable, Yoh. You'll like her."_

And that did all. Hao could always find a way to persuade him into doing something he doesn't really want to do.

He was really curious about the girl. In their younger years, Hao was always the popular one at school. A lot of girls would ask him to go out with them but he never accepted any invitation. His twin never introduced a girl to him so that phone call was quite a shock to him. _She's lucky. Hao is smart and talented and handsome and loving. _He smiled inwardly. _Who could the lucky girl be?_

"Air Japan flight 241 has now arrived from New York, USA." A lady working in the airport's control panel announced. "Air Japan flight 241 has now arrived from New York, USA."

Yoh stood up. "Well, it's about time." He stood before the barricade and waited for his brother and his companion.

XOXO

People with different hair colors and nationalities from that flight had already passed his way but then he was not able to see his brunette twin. He was standing there for almost an hour and he had been watching other people come and go with their relatives and friends.

_Okay, I'll wait for another thirty minutes…_

Hao and his companion were out of sight.

_Another thirty minutes…_

They were still not there.

_Thirty more minutes…_

Still, no brunette called Asakura Hao.

_Thirty minutes… _Yoh had always been a patient person. Thoughts of Hao entered his mind. _Maybe he's just making fun of me. Maybe he's not even going here. Maybe he's laughing out loud right now because of me falling for his stupid trick._

He sighed and went back to sit on the bench. _But what if I'm wrong? _He stared at the illustration board and black marker that were lying on his side. He brought it just in case he would need it. _And I never thought that I would need those. _He put the board on his lap and used the marker to write something on it. When he was finished, he raised it and read what he wrote. He had an unsure, nervous smile on his lips.

He stood up on the bench and raised the illustration board above his head then he began shouting, "Asakura Hao! Asakura Hao!"

People began staring at him. They read what was written on the board, 'Asakuara Hao'. Some were laughing at him and thought that he was insane. Yoh tried not to mind them but then it was difficult. He was blushing and was really ashamed of himself.

A security guard was approaching him when a blonde woman about his age that was standing in front of him made him stop what he was doing. His mouth dropped open and his eyes were showing amazement and surprise.

The security guard stood beside him. "Hey, what the hell do you think are you doing!"

Yoh's eyes were fixed on the woman. It's as if time had stopped and they were the only people standing there.

The blonde looked at the officer. "It's okay now. I'll take care of him." She said with a reassuring smile.

The guard looked at Yoh then to Anna with an eyebrow raised. "Just be sure that your boyfriend won't do anything stupid again, okay?"

She nodded and watched as the officer went away. _He's not my boyfriend._

She turned her attention to the brunette who seemed to have regained his composure. She glared at him and grabbed the 'Asakura Hao' sign board from him. "What do you think you're doing, Asakura Yoh!" She angrily asked him.

"Hi, Anna!" He happily said. "So, what brought you here?" He casually asked. The fact is, he was very nervous. He was too stunned to say more. _Finally, she's back._

The blonde said nothing. Neither of them spoke for quite a while.

"I knew you would come back one day," Yoh said, almost like a whisper. "I missed you, Anna."

Anna looked away from him. "He didn't tell you, did he?" There was a brief pause before she continued, "Hao can't come here today."

Yoh looked confused. Something in her tone was terrifying him, telling him that something will change because of Hao's absence. "What do you mean?" _What does she have to do with Hao?_

She stared at him with eyes that were assuming that that would be his reaction. She put the board down and placed her hands on her hips. "What I mean is that…" She paused, her lips curled into a casual smile. Yoh knew that that smile was hiding something, it meant something else. It terrified him. "… I will be Asakura Anna in the future."

Yoh cannot manage to put his usual carefree smile on his lips. He opened his mouth to say something but he was not able to say anything.

"I'm Kyoyama Anna," She looked at him with a proud smile. "Asakura Hao's fiancée"

There was a lump on Yoh's throat that disabled him to speak. He went down from the bench then stood next to Anna. Everything was happening too fast for him. He stared at Anna's deep, dark eyes, trying to figure out what she was thinking or what she was really feeling. _Like what I used to do. _But he saw nothing in her eyes. It's as if she had purposely put a veil on her eyes so that he can't see through them. _It was how I was able to know her. By looking in her eyes, I was able to know the real Anna._

Anna started to walk away from him. "I'll explain everything to you later. I've already reserved a cab to take us to your house. My baggages are already in there."

The brunette stared at the blonde woman. _What are you doing, Anna? _He then followed her. _Have you already forgotten that promise?_

The painful past that he wanted to forget—it was all coming back to him now.

XOXO

In the other side of the world, he was thinking about his lady.

He was sitting on a chair beside the window. There was a thick book about cardiac surgery sitting on the table in front of him. He always dreamed of being a doctor since his childhood. Now, he was a professional cardiac surgeon. He was rich, successful, handsome, a philanthropist. People admired him and thought of him as the 'Perfect Man'. He would smile at them but deep inside he knew that there was emptiness in his heart that was needed to be filled.

Until Anna came to his life and filled that emptiness…

He was staring outside the window but then got tired of looking at the green surrounding and blue sky. The picture frame on the right side of the table caught his attention. There was a small smile on his lips when he took it. He gently grazed his fingers on the glass. He remembered when it was taken and it made him feel better.

It was his and Anna's picture taken in a garden. He studied the image—his arm was around her shoulder and he had a happy smile that resembled his brother's. Her face showed no expression but if he would look deeper in her dark eyes, he could see that she was happy yet her soul was agonizing.

He put the picture frame back to its place then glanced at it before turning his attention to the book he was reading.

_Take good care of my Anna, Yoh. I know you wouldn't disappoint me. _He deeply sighed. _Please make my Anna happy even just for a while._

* * *

I don't know a lot about Shaman King. I've watched the English dub and I heard a lot of people dislike it. Why? Anyway, I would really appreciate it if you would share some information about this anime and its characters and where Yoh and Anna came from before transferring in Tokyo. Another question, why is Anna Yoh's fiancée? I mean, why did she become his fiancée?

Please review and tell me what you think.


	2. Melancholy

**II. Melancholy: **_depression of spirits_

The trip to the Asakura residence was filled with loneliness and quietness. Yoh was still quite confused. He hadn't seen Anna for almost ten years then she showed up and introduced herself as Hao's fiancée. _My brother's fiancée… _Hao didn't know about their hidden past. As he was looking outside the window of the moving vehicle, pieces of their hidden memories came rushing back in his mind…

_They were 14 years old that time—Kyoyama Anna and Asakura Yoh. The young brunette told his girlfriend, Anna, to meet him by the Usorisan Lake. It was such a memorable place for the two of them._

_He sat patiently by the gleaming lake. It was 7:30 in the evening and he had been waiting for his Anna for thirty minutes. The blonde was never late for their meeting or date but that time, it was different. 'Maybe Anna had to do something important. Yeah, maybe that's why she is late.'_

_He looked at the star-filled sky as the cool breeze gently caressed his face. He turned his gaze at the light brown paper rolled into a scroll at his side. His lips curved into a contented smile. 'I will make this night really special for Anna.'_

_He waited and waited for his Anna to come. It was 11:00 in the evening but still she wasn't there. He finally gave up and decided that he would just talk to her the next day. He took the scroll then stood up and walked away._

_Five minutes' walk took him to a clearing. He found it the time he went to Osorezan for a vacation and visited the lake—where he first saw Anna. Yoh learned that hot water would come out from the land when it is dug. The piece of land was owned by someone and he planned to buy it someday for Anna. She wanted to own a hot spring; it was one of her dreams. _

_He unrolled the paper and read its content. He made it himself—hand-written, it had two blank lines on it. His name was under the first line then Anna's name was under the second one._

"_This deed is to certify that Kyoyama Anna is now the rightful owner of the 'clearing near the lake' and could turn it into a hot spring. Asakura Yoh bought the land from Iwagawa Kichiro and has given it to Ms. Kyoyama." He read out loud._

_Even if it wasn't true, that it was just a useless piece of paper, he knew it would make Anna really happy. He loved Anna with all his heart and intended to make it real for her._

_He went to Anna's house the next day. Her guardian talked to him instead and explained that Anna had already left unknown reasons._

… _And it broke his heart._

He felt someone tap his shoulder.

"Could you help me carry my bags?" She asked.

He forced a smile. "Yeah, sure." He cheerfully answered.

XOXO

Yoh showed her to the guest room. He put down the bags he was holding and said to Anna, "This will be your room."

"Hmm… Neat. Thank you." It looked like she didn't really mean it because of her expressionless face. "Now, I would really appreciate it if you would leave me alone, Yoh."

Yoh slid the door close and sat in front of Anna. He didn't have his usual smile on his lips; his eyes showed seriousness. He had a lot of things he wanted to tell Anna but it's as if he had forgotten all of them. There was an awkward silence in the room.

"Why didn't Hao come with you?" He asked, breaking the silence.

"He said he needed to finish something. Don't worry; he'll be here after some weeks." She answered. "He loves to surprise people. I'm sure you know that since you've been with him for many years."

There was a small sad smile on his lips. "Yeah, he sure does." _And I'm really surprised that you've become his fiancée._

Again, silence consumed the two.

"How have you been, Anna?" He finally asked. Even if she left him, he cannot make himself get angry to her.

Anna stared at his serious orbs. "Just fine. Hao had been taking good care of me."

"Hao is really lucky because he have you." He said, trying to make their conversation longer.

"And I'm blessed because I've got him," She monotonously answered.

"He told me you were adorable. He's right." He really mean it. She was the most adorable woman he ever met. _And so that's what Hao thinks about her, too._

Anna said nothing.

"How did you meet my… brother?" Yoh asked her.

She brushed her hand on her blonde hair. "Just ask him that question. I don't like telling other people my history."

_Other people?_ It stung his heart. He wasn't able to speak for some seconds.

"You really like him, huh?" He asked casually. Every word that came out from his heart was like venom slowly poisoning his heart. It was a question Hao cannot answer.

Her lips curled into a small smile. "I love him."

Yoh turned his eyes away from the blonde. "Anna, why did you leave me?" He slowly asked her.

Anna stood up and got something from the pocket of one of her bags. "Please don't talk about the past, Yoh. I'm not the Anna that you used to know. I'm with Hao now. I know that you understand what I'm talking about."

Yoh wished that he understood what she was talking about but his system won't let him. _Teach me so I could learn what you are saying, Anna._

She handed Yoh an envelope. "Hao wants me to give that to you."

Yoh looked at the envelope. It had his name written on it. "Uh, thanks."

"I'm tired, Yoh. Will you just get out of here and let me rest?"

Yoh had his smile again. "If that would make you happy then I would do it." He happily answered and got out of the room.

Anna stared at the closed door then bowed her head. A silent tear escaped her deep, dark eye.

XOXO

Yoh was too tired that night but he wasn't able to get himself to sleep. His mind was occupied by thoughts of Anna. _Hao's Anna_. He tossed and turned on his futon. She doesn't seem to be the Anna he used to know. She was quite different but then there was still something in her that told him that everything was going to be alright. It was as if she wanted to tell him something but just couldn't.

"_You really like him, huh?" He asked her._

"_I love him" She answered._

He remembered the conversation they had earlier.

"_Please don't talk about the past, Yoh. I'm not the Anna that you used to know. I'm with Hao now. I know that you understand what I'm talking about." _

There were a lot of questions lurking within his mind. He knew that he should just forget about her. The past is the past and there is nothing wrong if she falls in love with another person. _But why Hao? Of all the people, why him? _Only Anna could answer that question.

He tried to convince himself that Anna already forgot their past and she had already moved on. She wanted him to get on with his present life and just let her be happy with Hao. _The past, present, and future are all connected. The present wouldn't happen if it weren't because of the past. _He closed his eyes.

_I am her past and Hao is her present… her future. She's right. I should start forgetting about her. It's a lesson I should learn by myself. _He slowly opened his eyes. _If that would make her happy then I would do it._

And tomorrow would be the start of his new project—Operation: Pretend Hating Kyoyama Anna. He started to think of a plan.

Yoh stared at the white ceiling and sighed deeply. _Maybe she really is not the Anna that I used to know._ He sat on his futon. He forced himself to believe what he was thinking but then his mind and heart told him otherwise.

XOXO

In the guest room, Anna was also not able to bring herself to sleep. She had been thinking about her fiancé.

_Why did you send me here, Hao? _She kept asking even if she knew that Hao couldn't answer her. _Could it be that he knows? _She immediately shook her head. _Don't be stupid, Anna. Of course, he doesn't._

She closed her eyes but then images of Yoh suddenly flashed in her mind. She quickly opened her eyes. _It's been a while since I last saw him. I never thought that I would be seeing him again. _She had a bitter-sweet smile on her lips. _He's quite different now. He's more serious that before. Taller and…_ She sat on her futon. _What am I thinking? I've already forgotten about him. _She had a hurt smile on her lips. _I never really loved him._

She forced herself to believe what she was thinking but then her mind and heart told her otherwise.

… And what they didn't know was that there were two sorrowful souls, each trying to hurt itself because of what they were trying to believe.

XOXO

In the other side of the world, he was thinking about his twin brother.

He took out his wallet from a cabinet and opened it. The first thing that he saw was a picture of him and Yoh in their younger years. They looked really happy and they had the same smile on their lips. He loved his twin very much and he did almost everything that would make his brother happy. Yoh had always been a considerate, cheerful, happy-go-lucky person. People thought that he was almost perfect but they were wrong.

… He wanted to be like Yoh. _So that I could make people truly happy; so that I could make the one I love feel contented._

He closed his wallet and put it away. He glanced at the picture at the right side of his study table then went back into reading his book. This time, it wasn't about cardiac surgery but neurology.

* * *

I felt stupid writing this fic when I don't even know a lot about its characters so I've done some researching. It was a nice experience! Asakura Hana is so cute and Yoh's hair became long like Hao's when they grew up. Tamao looked pretty when she pretended that she was Anna. Aww, I want to have a copy of 'Funbari no Uta', not just some manga scans from the Internet! Waaah!

Anyway, thanks for those who reviewed and gave me some information/suggestions. Thanks a lot! I know I can' please everybody but please tell me what you think about this story.


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